Despite what you see in the mirror, you might be older than you think. Photo: Getty

Released by Priceline, the "What's your health age?" survey found that the average “health age” for Australian women is approximately 5� years older than their actual age.

A lot of people are on a bit of a health-train smash and because of this there is a chance they may die earlier from a preventable disease, says Dr Ginni Mansberg.

“If they were to give up smoking, drink normally and adjust their diet, they would feel and look 20 years younger,” she says.

Not only that, “they will head off at the pass the advancement of diseases.”

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The survey involved 60,000 participants and identified four health and lifestyle issues that are causing Australian women to have an elevated “health age”. These include: lack of sleep, lack of exercise, stress and failing to be aware of their cholesterol and blood pressure levels.

While these health and lifestyle issues may seem obvious, the survey found that 70 per cent of Australians do not know their cholesterol levels and 55 per cent do not know their blood pressure levels.

The study also found that one in five Australians eat the daily recommended servings of fruit and vegetables.

And only 53 per cent of women take part in at least three hours of exercise a week.

What's your health age ambassador, Sally Obermeder, says the results tell us that we need be more active when it comes to our health.

“It's important for people to take their health into their own hands and not wait for something to happen and then be reactive,” she says.

“Simple things that we can do are not painful, they aren't intrusive and yet they are so important.”

While it's never too late to make positive lifestyle changes, Dr Mansberg points out that age can't be reversed.

She says, age is something we are only starting to learn about now.

“Your cells are constantly turning over and dividing. But that process slows as you get older.”

At the same time, some cell death is important says Dr Mansberg. “They are old, so you get new ones.”

Dr Mansberg explains that at the end of our chromosomes we have these things called telomeres, which make it possible for our cells to divide.

She says: “The telomeres can be compared to the handles of a skipping rope”, in that they stop the chromosomes from fraying at the edges. But every time your cells divide your telomeres get shorter. This shortening process is associated with ageing.

That said, Dr Mansberg says: “Age is a silly focus [for your health] as it's really about diseases and not about ageing.”

“You can't stop the clock ticking,” she says. “But why play Russian roulette with a cigarette?”

When it comes to calculating your health online, the World Heart Federation is a good starting point for determining your “heart age”.